Life Ball (2 June at Vienna City Hall) announced this year's theme 'The Sound of Music' with the first image showing singer and drag artist Conchita Wurst (aka Tom Neuwirth) in the main role 'Maria' once played by Julie Andrews in the famous musical from 1965 about the Austrian Trapp family. Conchita Wurst is the character created by Tom Neuwirth who became internationally renowned after winning as 'Conchita Wurst' the Eurovision Song Contest in 2014. One of Conchita Wurst's latest video was a surprise as it was sung together with Ina Regen in Austrian dialect. The title of the song 'Heast as net' means in English as much as 'Don't you hear it'. The video for the Austrian dialect song received the sensational high amount of around 640.000 views (in two months) on Conchita's YouTube channel alone.

Last year, Conchita Wurst was the host of the HIV and AIDS charity event Life Ball 2017 and appeared in theatrical music performances on stage in front of Vienna City Hall. This year, Life Ball's annual 'Style Bible' under the title 'The Sound of Music' is introduced with the image of the singer, drag artist in the mountainous landscape of Salzburg where the Trapp family originates from.

fig.: 'The Hills are Alive' - Conchita Wurst in the role of 'Maria' for the Life Ball 2018 theme 'The Sound of Music'.
Photo: Life Ball / (C) Markus Morianz.